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Besides smoothing out dental procedures by way of its generalized anti-anxiety effects, it can increase overall patient comfort, make the dental experience acceptable and bearable, decrease resistance to future intervention, and through posthypnotic suggestions, encourage more rapid recovery.

Hypnosis is a distinctive, often trance-like mental state that is induced by an organized pattern of suggestions, usually verbal in nature, beginning with the suggestion of relaxation. The suggestions may be directly induced by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, but may be also be self-induced (self-hypnosis or autohypnosis/auto-suggestion). It has been used in dentistry for many years

Goldberg, G. (1973). The psychological, physiolgical and hypnotic approach to bruxism in the treatment of periodontal disease: Journal of the American Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry & Medicine Vol 20(3) 1973, 75-91.

Morse, D. R. (1977). An exploratory study of the use of meditation alone and in combination with hypnosis in clinical dentistry: Journal of the American Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry & Medicine Vol 24(4) 1977, 113-120.

Morse, D. R. (1977). An exploratory study of the use of meditation alone and in combination with hypnosis in clinical dentistry: Journal of the American Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry & Medicine Vol 24(4) 1977, 113-120.

Murry, J. M. (1982). The use of hypnotherapy in treating tongue thrusting problems in dentistry: Journal of the American Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry & Medicine Vol 29(2) 1982, 42-43.

Somer, E. (1991). Hypnotherapy in the treatment of the chronic nocturnal use of a dental splint prescribed for bruxism: International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis Vol 39(3) Jul 1991, 145-154.